Esther Gathambo, originally hailing from Kenya and now calling New Zealand home, is a social entrepreneur and businesswoman driven by a powerful mission. In 2020 Esther founded Sawubona, a social enterprise dedicated to empowering African artisans, promoting fair trade and sustainability practices, and nurturing a sense of community and shared experiences.In this conversation, we delve into Esther’s upbringing in Kenya, exploring the enduring impacts of colonialism and her insights into the transformative potential of business. We learn the inspiring story behind Sawubona and how Esther’s venture is actively improving the lives of artisans and communities while forging meaningful connections between Africa and New Zealand.In this episode, we discuss:Esther’s background and experience growing up in KenyaThe power of education, and being the first in her family to attend universityThe colonisation of Kenya and consequent impacts on communitiesLoss of cultural and community identity and intergenerational traumaThe exploitative nature of capitalismEthical and sustainability issues in business supply chainsThe story of SawubonaThe benefits of supporting social enterprisesEthical considerations as a consumerThe importance of protecting cultural art To view all the links to the websites and documents, visit the show notes on our website. Don't forget to subscribe to this podcast, leave us a review and share this episode with your friends and family.Please support our work and enable us to deliver more content by buying us a coffee.Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn.